1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for anonymously establishing telephonic connections and, more particularly, pertains to a computer-controlled telephone switch system which employs a plurality of individual tags as an initial prompting mechanism. The individual tags are carried by persons (e.g., children, youths, seniors), pets or valuable objects and each include unique visible indicia which provide a simplified set of instructions on how a finder of an individual tag can make a toll-free telephone call to a person responsible for the person, pet or object carrying the located tag. The visible indicia also include a simplified menu of system inputs. The system interactively prompts a caller to select and enter inputs from the menu shown on the tag. The system then employs the selected inputs and other stored data to anonymously establish telephonic connections between the caller and a person or persons responsible for the person, pet or object carrying the tag.
2. Description of the Related Art
The prior art discloses a number of systems where identification tags are employed to contact a telephone operator who, in turn, contacts someone responsible for a particular person or animal bearing an identification tag. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,219 to Sigman discloses a child identification system which includes a tag on a child's clothing. The tag includes an alphanumeric marking which allows the finder of the child to contact a telephone operator who, in turn, notifies the parents of the lost child, thereby preventing strangers from learning the name of the child or parents. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,610 to Fehr discloses a system for identifying a lost pet. The disclosed system includes a tag with a telephone number and a unique code number worn by a pet. A finder of the pet contacts an operator by calling the telephone number of the tag of a located pet. The operator then identifies the owner of the pet associated with the unique code and telephones the owner.
However, the art is still without a system which employs a plurality of unique individual tags to initially prompt finders of the tags to remotely contact a computer-controlled telephone switch by making a toll-free telephone call. Furthermore, the art is without a computer-controlled telephone switch system which provides vocal instructions to the callers includes a plurality of individual tags with a simplified menu of system inputs, includes a master control card for changing stored data accessible to the system and making telephone calls to any desired number, and anonymously establishes telephonic connections depending upon the inputs selected by a caller and the stored data provided by the holder of the master control card. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a system and method for anonymously establishing telephonic connections.